Google buys Gizmo5
GOOGLE IS HOPING its latest purchase, Gizmo5 will help Google Voice become a Skype competitor.
Gizmo5 makes the software that lets users make voice-over-IP (VoIP) phone calls from their computers and mobile phones. The service it offers is very similar to Skype, which also offers VoIP calling.
Google announced the acquisition on its Google Voice Blog where Wesley Chan and Craig Walker said that current Gizmo5 users will be able to continue using the service but Google will be suspending new signups. Existing users will also no longer be able to sign up for a call-in number.
"While we don't have any specific features to announce right now, Gizmo5's engineers will be joining the Google Voice team to continue improving the Google Voice and Gizmo5 experience," Chan and Walker said.
The acquisition of Gizmo5, which is similar to Skype, follows Google's two years back purchase of Grand Central, which is now Google voice.
On Monday Google bought mobile advertising firm AdMob for £450 million. It also said in an interview with Reuters that it plans to purchase about one company per month. µ
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Buying one company a month? When does Google become a monopoly?
As it goes... "Google is the one..." :)
Sounds like somebody has a hobby.
Why don't they let gizmo function, and work like before?
There is no reason to cripple gizmo like that.
They could just rename it as Google Gizmo or something.
I hate it when a company gets baught, then the customers get shafted. And then the company decides to destroy a good thing. The easy solution is to provide two solutions in parallel. Not everyone wants to use 'google talk', and are happy with gizmo. two brands = more exposure.